Presenter Information

Event Website

http://law.scu.edu/humanitarian/index.cfm

Start Date

4-2-2012 11:00 AM

End Date

4-2-2012 12:30 PM

Description

The data are in; women are still insignificant. Even after more than a decade of experience with UNSCR 1325, women have made only insignificant gains in peace processes. While the UN has repeatedly renewed its commitment to “mainstream” gender, most notably with its Millennium Goals and the creation of UN Women, all of these exhortations have thus far counted for little.

The lens of this paper is focused on the conflict and post conflict terrain, because it, in theory at least, provides multiple opportunities for transformation on many different levels – including accountability for human rights violations committed during hostilities, reforming local and national laws, reintegration of soldiers, rehabilitation and redress for victims, the establishment or re-establishment of the rule of law, the creation of human rights institutions and new governance structures, alteration of cultural attitudes, the improvement of socioeconomic conditions and transformation of gender roles and women’s status. This paper explores why it matters that gender become truly central in international humanitarian law and post conflict processes. It reviews UNSCR 1325 and the establishment of UN Women to assess their real contributions towards achieving gender centrality, looking at development literature and other scholarship and data evaluating the UN’s successes and failures. Finally, it recommends how gender can become truly central with humanitarian and post conflict processes.

This essay will draw on the authors' forthcoming book On the Frontlines: Gender, War and the Post-Conflict Process (OUP 2011).

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Feb 4th, 11:00 AMFeb 4th, 12:30 PM

Women in the Post Conflict Process: A Review of the Impact of UN Resolution 1325 and UN Women in Achieving Gender Gains from Conflict

The data are in; women are still insignificant. Even after more than a decade of experience with UNSCR 1325, women have made only insignificant gains in peace processes. While the UN has repeatedly renewed its commitment to “mainstream” gender, most notably with its Millennium Goals and the creation of UN Women, all of these exhortations have thus far counted for little.

The lens of this paper is focused on the conflict and post conflict terrain, because it, in theory at least, provides multiple opportunities for transformation on many different levels – including accountability for human rights violations committed during hostilities, reforming local and national laws, reintegration of soldiers, rehabilitation and redress for victims, the establishment or re-establishment of the rule of law, the creation of human rights institutions and new governance structures, alteration of cultural attitudes, the improvement of socioeconomic conditions and transformation of gender roles and women’s status. This paper explores why it matters that gender become truly central in international humanitarian law and post conflict processes. It reviews UNSCR 1325 and the establishment of UN Women to assess their real contributions towards achieving gender centrality, looking at development literature and other scholarship and data evaluating the UN’s successes and failures. Finally, it recommends how gender can become truly central with humanitarian and post conflict processes.

This essay will draw on the authors' forthcoming book On the Frontlines: Gender, War and the Post-Conflict Process (OUP 2011).